“The truth?” Lin’an dabbed her tears with a silk handkerchief, looking pitifully at Huaiqing.

Huaiqing sipped her tea calmly and said, “After Wei Gong’s death, Xu Qi’an decided to slay the emperor. He had a detailed plan. Behind this, even Wei Gong was involved in the planning and guidance, including the Censor.

“Xu Qi’an killing His Majesty wasn’t an impulsive act. Many forces were pushing for it. Things aren’t as simple as you think.”

Many forces were pushing for it, including Wei Yuan and the Censor… Lin’an said sorrowfully, “Everyone wanted to harm Father, everyone wanted Father dead.

“I know Father cultivated for twenty years and made many mistakes. Many in the court were dissatisfied with him, but Huaiqing was our father. Father doted on me so much. Everyone wanted him dead, but I didn’t want him to die.

“Even more, I didn’t want Xu Qi’an to be the one to kill Father.”

She thought Huaiqing was saying this to prove to her that Father was wrong, that Xu Qi’an killing Father was the same as him killing the Duke – both were for the good of the people.

But in the face of family love, is there right or wrong?

Father was still her father, and Xu Qi’an was still her father’s killer.

Huaiqing’s explanation didn’t make Lin’an feel better.

“Yesterday, did you know Xu Qi’an and His Majesty fought outside the city, collapsing the city walls?” Huaiqing suddenly asked.

Lin’an was stunned for a moment, trying to recall. The Crown Prince seemed to have mentioned it briefly, but she was in such an emotional state at the time that she had overlooked these details.

Before she could ask, Huaiqing continued calmly, “When did Father become so powerful?”

Lin’an opened her mouth but hesitated. She didn’t understand much about cultivation, but she wasn’t stupid. Hearing Huaiqing say this, she immediately realized something was wrong.

Yes, when did Father become so powerful?

“Has Father… always been hiding his strength?” Lin’an sniffled, her eyes red, saying uncertainly.

Huaiqing said seriously, “To be precise, he wasn’t our father at all.”

Lin’an stared at her sister Huaiqing, her mind not yet grasping what she meant. After a moment, she asked for confirmation, “What did you say?”

Huaiqing repeated without changing her expression, “He wasn’t our father at all.”

Not mishearing… Lin’an’s eyes widened suddenly, her voice rising:

“You, you can’t just make things up to placate me. I didn’t expect you to be like this, Huaiqing. If Father isn’t Father, then who could he be?”

Huaiqing said gravely, “He was Emperor Zhende, our grandfather.”

Lin’an fell into an eerie silence, looking at Huaiqing as if she were a monster.

Huaiqing nodded, indicating that this was indeed the fact, showing that she understood her sister’s shock. If she had suddenly learned of this without any prior knowledge, even if she appeared calmer than Lin’an on the surface, the shock and disbelief in her heart would not be any less.

“I understand how you feel, but please listen to me…”

Huaiqing explained everything in detail. She spoke clearly and concisely, like an excellent teacher guiding a slow student.

Even someone like Lin’an, who didn’t understand much about cultivation, could grasp and understand the course of events and the logic behind them.

… Over forty years ago, Emperor Zhende had already been corrupted by the Earth Sect Leader, turning into a “madman” with malignant tendencies… With the help of the Earth Sect Leader, he possessed his son, Prince Huai, and “parasitized” another son, Yuan Jing… Then he faked his death, avoiding the Censor’s attention, and hid in the dragon vein to cultivate.

When Wei Yuan first led an expedition to the northern border, he took the opportunity to possess Yuan Jing. For the next twenty-one years, he openly indulged in cultivation. To avoid suspicion, he deliberately portrayed Yuan Jing’s body as having mediocre cultivation and no talent.

His true body was accumulating power in the dragon vein. For the sake of immortality, the former emperor had gone completely mad. He colluded with the Wushen Sect, killed Wei Yuan, and sacrificed a hundred thousand troops.

What he wanted to do was even more insane and irrational than this – to hand over the ancestral kingdom to others!

My real father had died twenty-one years ago, and twenty-one years ago, I was only two years old… By the end, Lin’an was trembling all over, feeling both fear and grief.

She was secretly terrified for a moment, then looked at Huaiqing without blinking and said:

“So, so Xu Qi’an…”

Huaiqing made a sound of agreement: “Perhaps there was some personal grudge involved, but I believe he did this more because he didn’t want to let the ancestral legacy be destroyed in an instant. Therefore, in my eyes, his killing of His Majesty is the same as killing the Duke.

“A foolish ruler who nearly toppled the ancestral legacy, a foolish ruler who cultivated for twenty years without regard for the lives of the people, a beast who killed his son – I only feel that Xu Qi’an killed well, killed satisfyingly.”

After saying this, she glanced at Lin’an:

“I’ve told you the facts. Whether you believe it or not is your business. Whether you hate Xu Qi’an or not is still your affair. After all, the former emperor always doted on you. Whether it was intentional disguise or not, this point at least is true.”

The last half of the sentence carried a hint of mockery.

This woman Huaiqing, appearing dignified and proper on the surface, was most skilled at hiding needles in cotton, subtly hurting others.

Lin’an stared at her intently, biting her lip: “How do you know all this?”

Huaiqing sighed, “It was all uncovered by Xu Qi’an. When you don’t know, he always gives more than you think.”

“But he didn’t tell me, he didn’t tell me anything!” Lin’an clenched her fists, saying stubbornly.

Huaiqing sneered, “Tell you… Could you have borne all this? Could you guarantee not to show the slightest flaw in front of the former emperor?”

The eldest princess said in a low voice, “He was protecting you.”

Lin’an opened her mouth, tears seeming to glisten in her eyes.

“I, I understand now. I’ll send someone to summon him right away. I’m not angry with him anymore…”

Her words were restrained, but her actions were urgent. She lifted her skirt, stood up, and was about to run out of the inner hall, out of Deixin Garden.

“You’ve missed your chance!” Huaiqing sighed.

Lin’an, who had just taken two steps, suddenly froze. She turned back, facing Huaiqing with her pale face, and said tremblingly:

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I haven’t told you the specifics of that battle yet. Although the former emperor’s plot didn’t succeed, the dragon vein spirit has scattered, dispersing to various places. If the dragon qi cannot be gathered, the Central Plains will surely fall into chaos.

“Moreover, his cultivation is now ruined, and his physical condition is very poor. Even the Censor is at a loss. To survive, he will leave the capital. Whether he can return alive is yet unknown.

“Not long ago, when he came to see you, he wanted to say goodbye.”

The last sentence was like a needle piercing Lin’an’s heart, making it ache so much she could barely breathe.

So, he dragged his severely injured body to bid me farewell.

And I turned him away… Tears suddenly welled up, like a broken dam, no longer containable. She sobbed uncontrollably:

“I want to bring him back… I, I still have so much to say to him.”

Regret surged like a tempest. She regretted not seeing him one last time, she hated herself for rejecting the man who, despite his severe injuries, only wanted to say goodbye to her.

Now that man had left, his life uncertain, their reunion far in the future.

Tears blurred her vision. When people are at their saddest, they cry so much they can’t open their eyes.

In the hazy vision, she saw a figure walk over, place a hand on her head, and say with a gentle smile:

“Your Highness, you look ugly when you cry.”

Lin’an’s beautiful eyes widened as she stared at him blankly.

A few seconds later, she wiped away her tears and looked at Huaiqing in bewilderment.

Huaiqing wore a shamelessly innocent expression.

In the past, Lin’an would have jumped at her and fought fiercely, but now she didn’t care about Huaiqing. Her heart was filled with the joy of regaining what was lost. She threw herself into Xu Qi’an’s arms, her hands hooking around his neck.

Burying her face in his neck, she sobbed:

“You dog slave, you dog slave…”

She held him tightly, afraid that if she let go, this man would disappear.

Since they had known each other, this was the boldest move Lin’an had ever made. If before, her affection was hidden in her heart due to their respective positions,

Now, she finally gathered the courage to throw herself into the dog slave’s arms.

Snot and tears are all over my neck… Xu Qi’an gently embraced Lin’an’s slender waist. Just as he was about to say something, he sensed killing intent behind his head.

He quickly had an idea, remaining calm as if a mountain were collapsing before him, and said, “Your Highness, please don’t hold me so tightly, it hurts.”

Hurts? Lin’an sniffled and raised her head, looking at him with tear-reddened eyes.

Xu Qi’an, without any intention of seeking credit, opened his robe in front of Lin’an.

“Ah…” Lin’an stepped back in shock, staring at the ghastly wound on his chest and the nail embedded in his flesh. Her fingertips trembled as she touched Xu Qi’an’s chest, tears flowing uncontrollably, her heart aching deeply.

Having gained both Lin’an’s sympathy and defused Huaiqing’s anger, Xu Qi’an, with his professional playboy skills, achieved a satisfactory result.

“Your Highness,” Xu Qi’an turned and said to Huaiqing, “I’ll take Lin’an back first.”

Huaiqing’s face was expressionless, showing no joy or anger.

…

At Shaoyin Palace, Lin’an clung to Xu Qi’an, asking her maids to bring the best pills and medicinal powders, trying to heal his wounds.

Seeing no effect, she burst into tears again.

With Xu Qi’an’s gentle words of comfort, she finally stopped crying, changing to soft sobs.

“No matter what, he still doted on you and loved you for so many years. You still feel sad in your heart, right?”

Lin’an’s delicate body stiffened, and she shook her head, sobbing:

“But I don’t hate you anymore, I don’t hate you anymore…”

Sure enough, she did hate me before… Xu Qi’an raised his hand, his fingertips touching her cheek, soft and cool.

“Your Highness.”

“Hmm?”

“I want to taste the rouge on Your Highness’s lips.”

“Mmm…”

…

At dusk.

At the Star-gazing Tower, on the Eight Trigrams Platform.

Xu Qi’an returned with his severe injuries, his face still pale, but with a hint of excitement in his brow.

“Have you settled everything?” The Censor, sitting by the table, looked up.

Xu Qi’an nodded silently.

“Then let’s start the incorporation.”

The Censor opened his palm, revealing the jade-colored, scorpion-shaped Seven Deadly Venoms, lying quietly like a lifeless specimen.

“How do I incorporate it?”

As he asked this question, Xu Qi’an wondered how to eat these Seven Deadly Venoms.

“First, drip blood to recognize the master.”

As the Censor spoke, he pressed Xu Qi’an’s wrist, forcing a drop of blood from his fingertip.

The blood drop flew silently towards the Seven Deadly Venoms. As it approached, the previously docile venomous insect suddenly became agitated, struggling violently, craving fresh blood.

It opened its ferocious mouthparts and swallowed the blood drop.

Visibly, the jade-colored Seven Deadly Venoms turned a translucent crimson, then leaped from the Censor’s palm towards Xu Qi’an.

The Seven Deadly Venoms, incorporating seven great venomous arts in one body… Xu Qi’an didn’t dodge or resist, calmly watching as the Seven Deadly Venoms flew towards him.